Scammers siphon, USA News (Victoria, Australia): A Victorian childcare worker who was let go from her job after an injury leave has lost more than $20,000 to scammers over the past six months. Ashley Grey*, 39, clicked on an advertisement that popped up on Facebook in March and was directed to an official-looking website for financial endeavours, where she soon became embroiled in a task-based scam rooted in long-term manipulation.
She thought she was bettering her financial footing but, even after red flags appeared, she kept sending the scammers money. Grey has now stopped sending money but continues to receive a daily barrage of messages from the scammers, the latest of which reminded her to send $500 when her next Centrelink payment comes through.
The initial advertisement had taken Grey to a website which claimed to be for affiliate marketing. However, this is not what Grey was told. “I’d never heard of it before … then this person called Caroline popped up with a message just saying, ‘Hi, thanks for popping on my page, how can I help you?’,” Grey told 7NEWS.com.au.
Legitimate affiliate marketing does not require a third-party to contribute any funds. But Grey’s scammers obfuscated the concept, twisting it beyond comprehension and fabricating a need for third-parties to invest money to unlock levels of the scheme. She was then sent a link to a legitimate cryptocurrency app to move forward. A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson noted that the use of legitimate cryptocurrency platforms and software is common in these scam types.
Stolen Identity and Psychological Manipulation
The Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson described the incident as a task-based job scam, where victims are convinced they have a legitimate job involving business affiliate related tasks. With the tasks made overly difficult to understand, the scammer offered to help with back-end work by having Grey deposit her cash into a cryptocurrency wallet and hand over her credentials.
Exodus, the company behind the cryptocurrency wallet software used, warns its software is commonly used by scammers but is not centrally regulated, meaning funds uploaded cannot be recovered if a scammer gains access. In hundreds of messages sighted by reporters, the scammer used AI-generated responses switching between a busy professional and a concerned colleague, alongside harsher rebukes and ultimatums.
Grey still referred to the scammer as a US-based woman called Caroline, referencing a social media account using the same name and photo. Media outlets reached out to the real Caroline, a social media influencer who confirmed she had never heard of affiliate marketing and had previously faced identity theft issues.
Mounting Debt and Regulatory Warnings
The scammers were aware of Grey’s medical situation, lack of employment, dried up WorkCover payments, growing debt, and serious mental health concerns including depression, bipolar disorder, and suicidality. They continued to pressure her to use her superannuation and welfare payments, apply for loans, sell belongings, and ask family for money.
“I owe nearly $12,000 to friends and family. I just feel like a freaking idiot,” Grey said. Leading cyberpsychology and cybersecurity expert Monica Whitty noted that society and victims often unfairly blame themselves for falling prey to well-crafted cybercrimes.
Whitty and ACCC representatives pointed to subtle red flags, comparing the psychological trap to the boiling frog parable, where dangers escalate gradually rather than seeming too good to be true at first. Following her reports to authorities, Grey was targeted a second time by an IDCARE impersonator demanding a $100 fee, highlighting the prevalence of secondary money-recovery scams.
